Skate assistance system and method

ABSTRACT

This patent applications references the Provisional Patent Application 61/872,763, with the filing date Sep. 2, 2013. A system for training a skater using a device that the skater pushes in front of them, or pulls behind them. The device is pushed, or pulled, by the skater with handle bars. The device rides on a bicycle wheel with a brake. The device typically rides on only its bicycle wheel. The device has a small wheel(s), ahead of the bicycle wheel. Under heavy braking, the small wheel(s) keeps the device from pitching into the surface being skated on. The device also has a magnetic resistance device, driven against the bicycle wheel, to provide adjustable resistance to the skater. The device has a sensor for speed and distance, to a computer. The device has video camera mounts that are stabilized to stay focused on the skaters feet so the skater can analyze their stride.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This patent applications references the Provisional Patent Application61/872,763, with the filing date Sep. 2, 2013. The present inventionrelates to training for inline skating. It has a brake so the skater canstop on extremely steep inclines. It has a resistance mechanism so theskater can skate against resistance. The invention has video cameramounts, so the skater can see their skating technique and improve it.The invention also has mounts for water bottles and for food, for longdistance skating. The invention also folds up so the skater cantransport it easily.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Although skating is not a difficult activity to master, it can bedifficult to learn to skate well. Skaters often want to be able to climbsteep hills or mountains, but are concerned that they will not be ableto make the descent safely. Serious skaters often use speed skates thatdo not have brakes. Stopping on the skates can be done, but it oftendamages the skate's very expensive wheels. Many of the stoppingtechniques are frequently unreliable or insufficient to skate in oraround traffic, people walking/jogging/running, or people walking dogson long leashes. Skaters also face many situations where they must dealwith physical obstacles, such as cracks or heaving of road andsidewalks, or dangers, such as traffic or pedestrians, Skaters also havedifficulty being visible to traffic.

When skaters train for an event(s), they also like to review theirtechnique. This is very difficult to do, since it requires a clear viewof their feet and legs. Skaters will use a camera on a pole or anassistant on a bicycle or on skates to video tape their feet. There havealso been skaters that will skate behind a vehicle with a mirror, angleddown toward their feet.

Skaters need to drink a lot of water when skating long distances.Skaters must have someone deliver water to them along the way. If theskater does not drink an adequate amount of water, they must store thewater on their person, like in a jersey pocket This limits how much theycan drink. The same problem applies when a skater eats.

There are limited options for a skater, if they want to applyresistance, to make them a stronger skater. There have been attempts touse a parachute, towed behind the skater, but this doesn't work if thewind changes or the wind is too strong.

The present invention is directed at resolving all of these problems andneeds.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Skaters, especially, speed skaters have difficulty stopping orcontrolling their speed on steep slopes or in situations with manypotential hazards (traffic, pedestrians, runners, etc.), This is due tothe inadequacy of the current braking systems for skates. In the case ofspeed skates, they do not come equipped with any braking mechanism andrely on the skater to use stopping techniques which destroy veryexpensive wheels.

This device can be used in front of the skater, not unlike speed skatersdo when drafting another skater. The device primarily allows the user togovern their speed, or stop completely, in order for the device to work,it must behave similar to a real skater, staying in front of the skateras they move from side to side skating. When the skater uses the device,they typically skate with it on its large wheel. When skating with thedevice in front of them, they hold the device by its handle bars andmove the device like a wheel barrow.

When the device is being pulled by the skater, all of the basic benefitsstill work. The braking does not work as well when being pulled. Thedevice does follow the skater, when being towed by the skater,

By applying a resistance source, the device is also a training aid toskaters.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide the skater with a safemeans of stopping quickly or stopping reliably down long descents.

It is an object of this invention to provide variable resistance to theskater so that they can improve their training, or even skate downhills.

It is an additional objective of this invention to provide the skaterwith valuable feedback, in the form of data and video, to assist themwith becoming a better skater.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a platformfor the skater to store water and nutrition, so they can eat and drinkon long skates.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide the skaterwith increased visibility to make skating safer.

Broadly, the system for training a skater includes a bicycle wheel,connected between two stays. The two wheel stays, that hold the bicyclewheel, are connected to handle bars with a handle bar support. Eachhandle bar support is connected to a wheel stay with a hinge or isconnected to the brake mount. Each handle bar support will fold down, byrotating on the hinge that connects it to the wheel stay, for transport.When being skated with, the handle bar support is kept stationary by astrut that connects the handle bar support to the bicycle wheel axle.The strut is kept secure by tightening the wheel axle against it withthe wheels quick release or wheel axle nut. The bottom of each handlebar support has a hinged mount for a video camera. The video cameramounts to a rod with a counter balance weight at its opposite end. Asthe skater moves the device up or down, around the midpoint of thebicycle wheel, the camera remains pointed in the same direction. Theskater controls the activation of the video camera with a remote controlfastened to the handle bars. Inc handle bars are fastened to the top ofthe handle bar supports with a bolt. The bicycle wheel is securedbetween the wheel stays with a drop out that bolts to each stay at needythe midpoint of each wheel stay. The wheel stays are connected together,near the top of the bicycle wheel, with a brake mount. The brake mountfastens to each wheel stay with a bolt through each wheel stay. Thebrake mount has a conventional side pull wheel brake connected, at themidpoint of the brake mount, and is used for braking against the bicyclewheel. The side pull brake is controlled using is brake handle attachedto the handle bars. The wheel stays are bent inward and the end of eachwheel stay meet. The front of the wheel stays are fastened together witha plate that bolts to the top and end, of the two wheel stays. The plateis designed to fasten a magnetic resistance device that runs against thebicycle wheel to provide resistance to the skater. The magneticresistance unit comes in contact with the bicycle wheel using a cablethat puns the unit against the front of the bicycle wheel and iscontrolled by the skater with a brake lever on the handle bars. The endor each of the wheel stays also has a drop out fastened to the bottomwith a bolt, for the pitch prevention wheel The pitch prevention wheelis a small wheel, or set of wheels, that keeps the system from pitchinginto the surface under hard braking.

These and other objects of the present invention will become morereadily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the followingdetailed description of the exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is side view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is the top view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The diagrams are numbered and correspond to numbers in the parentheses.FIG. 1 and FIG, 2 show the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The device has the front wheel of a bicycle (1). A side pull brake (3)is attached to the frame (2) of the device. FIG. 2, (15) shows the brakemount. The brake mount, FIG. 2 (15) mounts between the wheel stays (14)and is held in place with two threaded knobs (16). The threaded knobs(16) mount the brake mount FIG. 2 (15) to the wheel stays (14) with twobolts that go through the wheel stays (14). The side pull brake (3)works on the bicycle wheel (1) to provide braking for the skater. Thethreaded knobs (16) are used to make disassembly and transport of thedevice easier. The frame (2) is made of 1 inch square tubing. Thebicycle wheel (1) is supported by the frame (2), between the wheel stays(14), with handle bars (4) that are held by the skater. The wheel (1) isheld to the frame (2) by two wheel mounts (9). The wheel mounts (9) areflat steel, approximately 3/16″ thick, 2″ wide, 3″ long, bent at a 90degree angle down the middle (often referred to as “angle iron”), with asingle hole on one side. The hole in the mounts (9) are used to holdeach mount (9) to each wheel stay (14), with a bolt that goes throughthe mount (9) and the wheel stay (14). The mounts (9) have a slot on theopposite side of the mount hole, to receive the quick release on thewheel (1). The handle bars (4) are typical bicycle handle bars for amountain bike, and are round and about ⅞ of an inch at the ends. Theframe (2) has a set of small wheels on an axle (5) attached to thefront, bottom of each wheel stay (14). The small wheels (5) are mountedto the wheel stays (14) via a set of four bolts. These wheels (5) areused to keep the device from pitching into the ground under hard brakingwhen the skater uses the side pull brake (3). If the skater does notwant to use two wheels (5), the invention has also been created using asingle wheel in place of the two wheels (5). The disadvantage to such anembodiment is that it must be laid on its side when not being used orconstantly supported by the skater. The advantage to such an embodimentis that the single wheel is less weight and also does not catch aseasily on physical obstacles that are larger than the front wheels. Theaxle for the wheels (5), used in the prototypes, is a wide skateboardtruck. A weight (6) is attached to the front of the frame over the smallfront wheels (5), using a ⅜ inch bolt and fender washer. The weight (6)is used to counterbalance the items mounted to the handle bars (4) tokeep the device from falling backward when not being used.

The handle bars (4) of the device have a brake lever (7) on the leftside. This is the same as a bicycle brake lever; the left hand controlsthe front brake on a bicycle. The handle bars (4) bolt to the handle barsupports (8) to allow the device to be disassembled for transport or tomount a camera, using the bolts that hold the handle bars (4) to thehandle bar supports (8) by replacing the bolts with a stud. The handlebars (4) have holes in them for the bolts that hold them to the handlebar supports (8). The handle bar supports (8) are threaded at the top ofeach support to allow the handle bars (4) to be bolted to the handle barsupports(8). The handle bar supports (8) are further secured by a strut(10) which connects to the wheel's (1) quick release mechanism. Thiskeeps the handle bar supports (8) secure when under hard braking. One ofthe embodiments of the invention connects the wheel stays (14) to thehandle bar supports (8) with a heavy duty hinge. The wheel stays (14),in this embodiment, have a slight bend at the axle of the wheel (1), tomake the ends of the wheel stays (14) meet up with the heavy duty hinge,connecting the handle bar supports (2) to the wheel stays (14). Thisembodiment's advantage is to make transport of the device moreconvenient by allowing the device to fold up.

A tether (11) is mounted to the handle bar (4) and is attached to a beltthat goes around the skater's waist. This tether (11) is used to keepthe device from going out of control if the user falls. An adjustablemagnetic resistance unit (13) is also installed on the unit. The skatercan adjust the resistance using the control (12) mounted to the handlebars (4). The adjustable magnetic resistance unit (13) is a common type,similar to the ones used for bicycle indoor trainers. One of theembodiments of this invention allows the skater to turn on or of themagnetic resistance (13) using a brake lever mounted to the right sideof the handle bars (4). In this form, the brake lever pulls the magneticresistance unit (13) against the wheel (1) when the lever is pulled bythe skater. A brake cable is connected to the magnetic resistance unit(13) that pulls the unit toward the wheel (1). The magnetic resistanceunit (13) comes out of contact with the wheel (1) when the skaterreleases the lever and the brake cable connected to the magneticresistance unit (13), becomes slack. The magnetic resistance unit (13)is bulled toward the front of the device with a return spring connectedto the wheel stays (14).

Video cameras can also be attached to the fastener that connects thehandle bar support (8) to the wheel strut (10). By mounting the camerato a rod with a counter balance at the other end, and then mounting therod, at its mid point, to the fastener that connects the handle barsupport (8) to the wheel strut (10), the video camera can be keptparallel to the skaters feet.

In another embodiment of the invention, a skater may attach differenthandle bars to the handle bar supports (8), and using a shorter wheelstrut (10), the skater can attach the handle bars to a belt around theirwaist, and they can push the device, as they would normally, or turnaround and connect the device to their waist and tow the device behindthem.

1. A device for training a skater comprised of: A. A means of attachingthe device to a skater that can be pushed or pulled by the skater, B. Abraking mechanism that allows the skater to stop quickly, C. A means forthe skater to collect, data about their skating technique, D. Anattachment that provides resistance to the skater, E. Locations on thedevice that allows the skater to attach important items for their skate.2. A skater training device according to claim 1 wherein the device canbe pulled or towed behind the skater by attaching the device to theskater's waist.
 3. A skater training device according to claim 1 whereinthe device has a large wheel that is pushed in front of the skater.
 4. Askater training device according to claim 2 with a large wheel that canbe towed behind the skater by attaching the device handlebars to theskater's waist.
 5. A skater training device according to claim 1 whereinthe device has a brake and wheel, and is attached to the skater forstopping the skater.
 6. A skater training device according to claim 1wherein a large wheel, with a brake on the large wheel, is mounted in aframe and attached to the skater to provide braking for the skater.
 7. Askater training device according to claim 6 wherein two small wheels,mounted to the front of the frame, for stability when braking when thedevice pitches forward on heavy braking.
 8. A skater training deviceaccording to claim 6 wherein a single small wheel at the front, mountedto a frame, for stability when braking when the device pitches forwardon heavy braking.
 9. A skater training device according to claim 6wherein the skater can pivot the device back on its large wheel and movethe device in synch with the skater's movements.
 10. A skater trainingdevice according to claim 8 wherein the skater can pivot the device backon its large wheel and move the device in synch with the skater'smovements.
 11. A skater training device according to claim 7 wherein acounter balance weight is attached to the front of the device so thatthe device rides on its front wheels when not pivoted onto its largewheel.
 12. A skater training device according to claim 8 wherein acounter balance weight is attached to the front of the device so thatthe device rides on its front wheels when not pivoted onto its largewheel.
 13. A skater training device according to claim 1 wherein handlebars allow the skater to attach to the device.
 14. A skater trainingdevice according to claim 13 wherein the handle bars on the device canbe removed so that the device is easy to transport.
 15. A skatertraining device according to claim 2 wherein the handle bars on thedevice can be attached to the skater.
 16. A skater training deviceaccording to claim 15 wherein the handle bars on the device can beattached to the skaters waist, via a waist belt, so that the skater cantow the device.
 17. A skater training device according to claim 1wherein video cameras can be attached to the device for collecting videoof the skater's feet and legs.
 18. A skater training device according toclaim 1 wherein the device allows the skater to attach data collectiondevices for speed and distance.
 19. A skater training device accordingto claim 1 wherein resistance to the skater can be created.
 20. A skatertraining device according to claim 6 wherein resistance to the skater iscreated by resisting the movement of the large wheel.
 21. A skatertraining device according to claim 20 wherein resistance to the skateris created by resisting the movement of the large wheel with adjustablemagnetic resistance that can be controlled by the skater.